Bauchi legislators’impunity

The despicable impunity of the male members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly survived for nearly 12 months, before the court could intervene. On June 7, 2012, that house of lawless men shamelessly conspired to suspend Mrs Rifkatu Danna, representing Bogoro Constituency, simply because she had the audacity to educate her colleagues on the basic provisions of the 1999 constitution, on whose authority they were elected.

Mrs Danna had told the ignorant men that the House lacks the authority to single handedly amend the constitution of the country. Befuddling in their ignorance, the legislators blackmailed their only apparently female Honourable member to apologise for her temerity, and there after suspending her.

Probably, the only qualitatively educated member of the state House of Assembly, Hon Danna, was suspended by her colleagues and ordered to apologise for publicly criticising the decision of the House to relocate the Headquarters of Bogoro Local Government from Tafawa Balewa to Bununu.

She had correctly argued that the headquarters of a local government is listed in the schedule to the constitution, and as such is a provision of the constitution.

She had also succinctly informed the ignorant men, that to change the headquarters amounts to amending the constitution; and that the Bauchi State House of Assembly lacks the power, to do so. Instead of thanking her, they fired her.

Now, Mrs Danna is reportedly the only female member of the Bauchi House of Assembly and the only Christian too. Again, Tafewa Balewa the current host of the local council is predominantly Christians, while Bununu is predominantly populated by Muslims. The report is that these reasons were the driving force for the Assembly’s unwholesome attack on the constitution; as they conspired to unlawfully relocate the council headquarters. In their desperation, the all-male members did not spare a thought for gender sensitivity or our country’s secularism as they moved against their only female and Christian member, despite that she is a classical example of a minority. By their discrimination, the legislators also offended the provisions of Section 42 of the constitution, which provides that nobody should be discriminated against based on her sex, religion or place of birth.

Thankfully last week, the state Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Zango, restored Hon. Zanna to her legislative duties. The Judge described the action of the Assembly as mere arbitrary show of power, which had infringed on the fundamental human rights of the plaintiff. The learned Chief Judge also directed the House to pay the lawmaker all her salaries and entitlements which accumulated during her unlawful suspension. The court, however, rejected her claims for damages. I will graciously add that the court and Zanna’s lawyers should be on standby to send the members of the House to the goal, for contempt, if they refuse to obey the orders of the court, or take any kind of steps to ridicule the clear orders made by the court.

Unfortunately, the court was not persuaded to sanction the lawless men, who by their illegal conducts had undermined our constitution for nearly one year, until the intervention by the court. It is my wish that the High Court had been persuaded to show radical activism, by going ahead to order exemplary damages to be paid personally by the lawbreakers amounting to their one year total emoluments to Mrs Danna; to discourage similar rascality elsewhere. The experience of the Bauchi lawmaker should also precipitate a national discuss on the desirability of legislative houses suspending their members, as a legislative privilege, as against a constitutional question.

It will be recalled that the National Assembly has on a few occasions suspended their members, especially when such members show courage against the leadership of the House. So, it can be argued that the Bauchi House merely aped their colleagues at the national level. The implication across the country are that we have Houses of Assembly and a National Assembly that is oppressive of any in-house dissent, forgetting that opposition is a fundamental necessity for a sustainable democracy. I can wager that the fear of being ostracised by other colleagues may be one reason why none of the members of the national assembly, has risen against the unlawful and unconstitutional enrichment of members, through dubious allowances.

Condolence to Sen. Ben Ndi Obi

I met Ojeligbo High Chief Senator (Dr.) Ben Ndi Obi, at the arrival hall of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, barely one week after the death of his amiable wife, Deaconess (Chief) Mrs Collette Ojirhomu Ben-Obi, on the April 14, 2013.

As I warmed up to the Oku-Uzu-Nagbaze-Igwe-Awka, our discussion centered on the preparations for the burial of Professor Chinua Achebe, without the High Chief betraying any personal emotions. True to his name, Ojeligbo was more concerned about the loss by Nigeria and Ndigbo, than his personal loss. Without any inkling about his personal loss, I was also generally interested in his political disposition as one of the foremost Nigeria’s politicians.

So, I was shocked when a few hours later, the Senator’s special assistant informed me, that the Senator was mourning his wife, having lost her a few days earlier. This week marks her final burial rites. Here is wishing the distinguished Senator and their children, God’s grace and the fortitude, to bear the irreparable loss. As Deaconess Ben-Obi, (nee Ejumudo) is buried next Friday, here is wishing her a blissful night rest in the bosom of the Lord.